Atlantic Salmon

Wild Atlantic salmon are actually illegal to fish now because stocks have become so depleted, due, in part, to farmed salmon, which cause significant pollution and environmental damage. Farmed salmon are crammed thousands deep into pens and doused with antibiotics and pesticides. If you buy “Atlantic salmon” at the food store, you can be sure that your fish has been farm-raised in these unhealthy and potentially dangerous conditions. If you’re going to buy salmon, invest instead in wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

American Eel

Love sushi? Next time you’re checking out the menu be sure to pass up this selection. Also called yellow eel or silver eel, American eel regularly makes the dirty dozen list because it contains high levels of PCBs and mercury.

Catfish

Nearly 90 percent of all catfish sold in the United States has been imported from Vietnam, which allows the use of antibiotics to treat their fish stock that have been banned in the United States. If that isn’t enough of a turn off for this type of fish, the two main varieties of Vietnamese catfish imported into the country aren’t technically considered catfish by government standards, and thus aren’t held to the same inspection standards as true catfish are. If you’re going to buy catfish, look for domestic, farm-raised catfish. This type of catfish has been raised responsibly, and is actually one of the most eco-friendly fish you can eat. You can also opt to try Asian carp, which is an invasive species that’s similar in taste and texture that is actually out-competing wild catfish and endangering the Great Lakes ecosystem, according to Rodale News.

Caviar

While not technically a fish, caviar (fish eggs) that come from beluga or wild sturgeon are adding to the overfishing of these populations of fish that have long maturity times, which are particularly sensitive to commercial fishing. These take a long time to rebound, according to the Food and Water Watch report, which adds that these species are being further threatened by increases in dam construction which pollutes their native waters. It’s important to note that a large part of the cost of caviar is due to the fact that all caviar comes from species of fish with long maturity rates. If you must have caviar, opt for the eco-responsible fish eggs that come from American Lake Sturgeon or American Shovelnose Sturgeon.